Would It Change Things
by Hexalys
Summary: The String Theory, where the possibilities of "what if" are a common occurrence; this outcome is merely one of many. What if Bunny had lost his self-control in the park and had actually hit Jack instead? As a result, Jack is left feeling far more vulnerable when Pitch finds him in Antarctica. When a desperate bargain is struck between Cold and Dark, what will come of it?
1. Cold and Dark

**Disclaimer**: Do I really need to say it? I own nothing.

I know, I know, some of you guys are rolling your eyes at this point, giving me tired sighs and probably saying something like this: "_Another Rise of the Guardians story, Hex?_" Yes, you irksome brats, another one. I really can't be blamed for this one though. I'm just so freaking sick and tired of reading all of these stories were Jack joins Pitch, but nobody seems to put any effort behind it.

Finally, I'd had enough and decided to take my own crack at it. This is really for the other people out there like me, who are sick and tired of reading terribly paced stories that throw out inappropriate amounts of angst with no thought or reason behind it. This will be a dark fic, sort of, and there will be no slash. Pitch and Jack will have a father/son relationship in this story.

There will be no OC's in this story, unlike my other works, nor will it necessarily be as long. That said, please enjoy and review!

~Would It Change Things~

Chapter 1: Cold and Dark

Jack stared at Bunny from a distance, fear keeping him frozen in place as he saw the once proud spirit collapse both literally and figuratively. A voice in the back of his head, one that suspiciously sounded like Pitch, whispered three words. '_You did this._' He bit his lip and pointedly looked away from Bunny, unable to face what he'd unintentionally caused.

There was a darker side in him though, a vindictive part that hissed back. '_Good, now he finally knows what I've felt for three hundred years._' Jack didn't flinch at the thought, or even at the venom buried behind the silent statement. He'd had such thoughts for centuries. He was used to that shameful side of himself by now.

But he still hated it, hated that he allowed himself to feel that way.

"Jack, where were you?" He turned to North; gaze dropping instantly as he caught a glimpse of the Russian's hunched over frame. The man, who had seemed so energetic and bright, _someone like me_, was reduced to staggering and leaning on his sabers for support. Jack was only slightly grateful that no dark thoughts had risen to his mind this time. He liked North, there was a genuineness about the older spirit that truly made him feel welcomed.

As he let his eyes move back up to the man though, guilt filled his hollowed chest. '_I did this._' He whispered to himself in a small voice, suddenly feeling very small in comparison to North's much larger stature.

"The Nightmares attacked the tunnels, they smashed every egg, crushed every basket. Nothing made it to the surface!" And Jack looked away, mouth opening to explain, but no words came out. What could he say? _I was distracted by Pitch when I promised everything would be fine. You were right to be worried, to have no faith in me. I'm sorry I screwed up. _

_Please, don't get rid of me. _

"Jack!" He turned as Tooth called his name, sounding upset and worried and tired. Her feathers, crippled and bland, fell as she flew by him to hover next to North. His breath hitched as he looked into her worn face. Hours ago she'd felt fine, Believed in, she had told North. Now she looked worse than ever, they all did. "Where did you get that?" She gasped and he, confused, followed her gaze, seeing that his Teeth Canister was still in his icy grip.

He looked back up at her, eyes wide as he caught the expression she was sending him. Something like dread tore at his heart and he wasn't sure why. He just knew that he couldn't stand the way she was looking at him, like he'd just done something irredeemable. Yes, he'd lost Baby Tooth, but they could still get her back, along with all the other missing Fairies.

"I was – it was –" He couldn't seem to say what he wanted, his tongue felt too heavy to lift, his jaw too tight to unclench, lips too numb to form words. '_It wasn't my fault; Pitch did this, not me._' That's what he wanted to say, but she really doesn't give him the chance to try again.

"Where's Baby Tooth?" Her eyes searched the air around them frantically, her voice panicked. He stepped back, unable to offer anything as comprehension filled her eyes. '_I lost Baby Tooth._' He clenched his teeth, because there was no apology that could make up for this. He braced himself for yelling, for hurtful words, for tears and blame. What he hadn't expected was how she brought her hands up to her mouth, of how she moved away from him, or how she looked at him with such fear. "Oh Jack, what have you done?"

And it was the uncertainty in her tone that hurt him the most.

"That's why you weren't here? You were with Pitch?!" North shouted and Jack blinked, ignoring the newborn stinging sensation in his eyes. North sounded so angry and it frightened him.

"No!" He denied vehemently. Because he only just realized what they were thinking, of what they'd thought he'd done. '_Me? With Pitch?_' He would have laughed if things weren't so dire, if they weren't looking at him like it was possible. How could they think he was working with Pitch? The horrified and accusing stares were hard for him to miss or ignore. "Listen, listen." He rushed desperately, sighing a little as Tooth moved even further away. "_I'm sorry_, I didn't mean for this to happen."

And he meant it, more than anything he'd ever done in his entire life, he regretted this the most. This was too important to brush aside with a snarky remark, or hide from with the hood of his sweater. Jack couldn't keep his voice from breaking a little, but surely that only proved how serious he was. He felt raw, exposed, and he'd never apologized to someone who could hear him before. It took everything he had not to flinch as he heard Bunny speak from behind him.

"He has to go." Jack backed away, not so much from the surprise of how close Bunny was, but from the words the Kangaroo had used.

"_What?_" He whispered, feeling something cold curl up inside of him, and he realized, as Bunny glared at him hatefully, that this was what he feared most. Pitch must have missed it, because not being Believed in and never knowing why, didn't seem so bad right about now.

Children, for all that Jack loved them, grew old and eventually died. But the Guardians, they would last forever, just like him. He wanted companionship, friends, and to be able to take comfort from others. He wanted to never be isolated again. Children who Believed could only offer so much. It was then that Jack finally understood what he wanted out of his existence; it only took this moment of everything falling apart to make him realize what it was.

What Jack really wanted was a family. And he could see that possibility here with the Guardians. Perhaps, they could be his–

"_We should never have trusted you!_" And suddenly, he was on the ground, starring up at Bunny with a cold hand pressed up against his aching jaw. From behind him Tooth gasped and North cursed in Russian, but Bunny just continued to glower down at him, paw still poised in the form of a fist. Something rattled about in his mouth and he spat it out, grimacing as a white tooth landed in his palm.

Jack fled.

If the others called after him, then he didn't hear them over the Wind roaring in his ears. It brushed alongside his face, as if it were caressing the area Bunny had hit. He laughed a little in response, the brokenness of it sounded like dry sobs to his own ears. The Wind, since it knew him better than anyone or anything, brought him to Antarctica; a place where Jack had always retreated to in his worse moments.

He landed harshly, stumbling a little, as he ran towards the edge of a nearby cliff, preparing to throw his Teeth Canister into the water below. Against his will though, his arm seemed to slow down halfway through the action, coming to a halt just over his head. He tried again, the second attempt even more pathetic than the first, and heaved a ragged sigh as his posture slumped in defeat. Unconsciously, he brought his hood up to cover his face, to hide his wet eyes and the bruise forming on his jawline.

He couldn't get rid of his teeth. Annoyed, he looked over the golden casing, studying the pale imitation of his face plastered on one of its ends. In the painting, he had brown hair that matched his equally brown eyes; his smile was still the same though. '_Is this really me?_' He thought weakly. He couldn't help but doubt it, doubt himself, doubt everything. For a few short hours, things had been perfect and now… Now he was exactly where he'd started three hundred years ago.

Alone.

"I thought this might happen." The voice was one he recognized immediately. "They never really believed in you." Those small, seemingly unimportant words, struck Jack hard, leaving him out of breath. He panted heavily, barely restraining his trembling arms from wrapping themselves around himself protectively. "I was just trying to show you that, but I understand."

Jack was attacking Pitch before he could even process what he was doing. He just knew one thing; he was angry, angry at himself, angry at Pitch, angry at Bunny. Pitch jumped back with a short shout, barely able to bring up his sand in time to block the attack.

"You don't understand anything!" He roared, firing another bolt of ice at the only speck of black in the oppressing sea of white ice.

"No? I don't understand what it's like to be cast out?" Jack had to roll to dodge the Nightmare Sand hurled at him. He gritted his teeth, jaw aching a little at the involuntary reaction. Is that what he was now? _An outcast?_ He had to jump into the air to avoid another stream of dark sand. He lunged downward with a powerful blast of ice, landing in the resulting cloud of frozen sand. "To not be Believed in?"

Jack turned and spotted Pitch not even ten feet away, arms loose at his side. He raised his staff, knowing by now that the Boogeyman could be up to anything. He'd let the man trick him once before, he wasn't going to let it happen a second time. But then he caught the look on Pitch's face, his expression so open and sad. It was enough to make Jack stop for a second, but a second was all Pitch needed.

"To long for… a family?" The soft admission seemed to paralyze Jack.

His eyes grew wide, as if he were trying to peer deeper into the Boogeyman's mind to see his true intentions. He couldn't tell if Pitch was lying, but the longer Jack stared, the more he found himself believing in the exact opposite. Was Pitch like him, did someone else actually share his desire to belong? '_But,_' he thought skeptically, '_how would Pitch even know I wanted a family?_'

Had the Boogeyman seen the fear earlier and had simply chosen not to bring it to light at the time? Why? To use it against him later? It's not like Pitch could have known how the Guardians would react? Right?

Jack blinked and lowered his staff in disbelief. During his blink, Pitch had moved, he was suddenly in front of Jack, left hand firmly griping his chin as the right pulled down his hood. He automatically fought back, bringing his staff up to push the man away from him. Sure, Pitch wasn't hurting him yet, but Jack felt too uncomfortable with having the dark spirit so close to him.

"What happened to your face?" The question was just that, a question. There was a mild infliction in his tone, but Jack couldn't tell what kind or what it meant. Pitch mostly sounded just curious. Still, the question brought up memories, ones that hurt him so deeply that Jack had to bite his lip to keep his emotions under control.

_We should never have trusted you!_

"I thought you knew everything." He snarled, finally managing to get away from the Nightmare King, retreating a few feet away and glaring at the man before him. Pitch just stared at him; head tipped to the side, looking as if he were searching for something. After a moment, doubt began to fill Jack's mind. Pitch honestly didn't seem to know just how badly the Guardians had reacted. "It's like you said, I've been cast out."

"The Guardians did that?" Pitch sounded surprised and there was something dark dancing across his face. Again, it wasn't something that Jack could recognize and the odd look disappeared within seconds, giving him no chance to study it further.

Jack, despite wanting to stay on his guard, turned away from the Boogeyman, shamefaced.

"They thought I was working with you. They didn't even give a chance to explain." His hands clenched around his staff, his tongue playing with the new whole in his backline of molars. There was blood, it took him by surprise and he spat it out, the glob unintentionally landed near Pitch's feet. The splat of red stood out noticeably against the scenery of ice and snow.

"So they hit you?" The Nightmare King's voice was flat and Jack looked up to see that his expression matched his tone. There was no glee or confusion or malice, just a dull look, as if they were having a conversation about the weather. For some reason, Jack felt angry towards Pitch's lack of reaction. Was he so unimportant, so worthless, that everyone, _even the Boogeyman_, viewed his pain with such indifference?

"Bunny did, yeah." He answered quietly after a moment, pushing back the insults he could have said instead. The anger had left him seconds after being born, leaving Jack exhausted. He started a little when a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, tugging him around. Pitch stared at him, face contorted into some form of resentment.

"They should not have touched you Jack, I hadn't realized the rabbit's hatred for you went so deep." His tone was surprisingly gentle, but Jack could only focus on the words themselves. '_Hatred?_' He repeated silently. Jack wanted to deny it, he wanted to defend them, but an image of Bunny's face appeared in his mind, green eyes full of contempt, and he knew Pitch was right.

"They do hate me." He softly admitted to the frozen air and Pitch's grip tightened.

"All those years in the shadows, I thought no one else knows what this feels like, but now I see I was wrong." Jack looked up at Pitch then, something in the man's tone making his heart race as he listened closely. He knew Pitch was saying something important at this moment, something that he would likely remember for the rest of his life. "We don't have to be alone Jack, I believe in you, and I know children will too."

"In me?" He gasped and Pitch nodded excitedly. He didn't really think that the Nightmare King had understood what he'd meant though. At this point, Jack couldn't care less about Believers, he just wanted assurance that he wouldn't go back to his solitary existence. But, if Pitch believed in him, if he was offering what Jack thought he was offering…

"Yes, look at what we can do." And Pitch backed away, finally releasing Jack to wave at something behind him. Inwardly, the young spirit bemoaned the loss of such a comforting gesture and reluctantly turned to see what Pitch was talking about. His breath caught in the back of his throat at seeing the towering structure of ice and sand. "What goes together better than cold and dark?"

Jack lightly brushed his hand across the tower's surface. It was smooth and cold from the ice, but also rippled and coarse from the sand. It wasn't bad, Jack decided, just different from the usual ice sculptures he'd created. As his eyes roamed over the structure, his gaze landed on his reflection. Pitch said something else from behind him, but Jack was too busy studying the mark on his face to pay any attention.

"We can make them believe! We'll give them a world where everything, everything is–"

Jack had experienced his fair share of injuries in the past. With how reckless he was, it was impossible to think that he'd never managed to give himself a few bumps and bruises. He'd been in fights before too, so he didn't understand why this small injury bothered him so much. '_It's because you trusted them, you let them in thinking they wouldn't hurt you. How well did that turn out?_' He shook his head, as if he were trying to fend off a harsh blow.

"You were right; I make a mess of everything." Jack wasn't sure if he'd meant to say that to Pitch, he just knew he could never take it back. The Boogeyman paused in his rant, looking as if he'd done something bad and Jack had caught him red-handed. Maybe he should have been paying closer attention to what Pitch had been saying. It didn't take the other spirit long to recover though.

"Jack, the Guardians aren't like us." That caught him off guard, making him freeze in his place as he waited for Pitch to continue. "What would they understand? What would they know of the feeling that comes from being stepped through, of being intangible to the world?"

"Well Bunny sure as heck knows it now." He hissed back, instantly biting his tongue for allowing his darker thoughts to escape the sanctity of his mind.

"He does, doesn't he?" Pitch intoned in a smugly, making Jack look away. "And how did he react? He took his anger out on you, held you accountable when it wasn't your fault." He inhaled sharply at that, blue eyes landing on Pitch as he searched for understanding. Someone didn't blame him. "Do you truly wish to ally yourself with such comrades?"

_No_.

It was only when Pitch grinned that Jack realized he'd spoken the word out loud. He turned away, bringing his hood back up and tucked his staff close to his side. For the first time in centuries, Jack just wanted to be left alone. He was about to say as much to Pitch, when the older spirit cut him off.

"Then come with me Jack." He turned around sharply, eyes wild and breaths quick. Pitch didn't mean that, did he? "Together, we can be so much more." Jack gave a broken sigh and turned away again. And that's what this whole thing had been about, what it had always been about. The only thing people seemed to care about was his power and what he could do for them.

"You're no different from the Man in the Moon." Pitch growled a little at that, but Jack spoke over him. "The Guardians only wanted me because of what I did to your Nightmares; you only want me to make sure that they fail." He looked up at the grey sky, wondering if the Man in the Moon was hiding behind the cover of clouds. "All I am is a pawn on a chessboard."

"Oh no Jack, you're much more valuable than a mere Pawn." Pitch stated, all earlier pretenses of warmth and understanding now gone. There was a dark gleam in the Nightmare King's eyes, and Jack could finally tell that Pitch had been lying before. He did not long for a family. He tried to ignore how much it hurt to know that Pitch hadn't been genuine at all throughout their confrontation.

But then, he should have expected as much. The dream of having a family was just that, a dream. And with Sandy gone, dreams were quickly turning into nightmares. '_How is this not a nightmare already?_' The darker side of his mind chortled.

"You are a Knight, the odd but valuable piece on the board that only the foolish overlook." Pitch continued and Jack, not knowing what else to do, listened. "If we were to continue with this chess analogy of yours, then the Man in the Moon and I would be the opposing Kings."

"The Guardians would be the more powerful pieces; North and the rabbit would be the Rooks, so easy to read in movement. The Fairy and the Sandman would be the Bishops, more difficult to get around, but still not all threatening. And I? I have but myself and my Nightmares, the true Pawns." He sneered, eyes focused on the tower of ice and sand. "Tell me Jack, do you know what happens when a Pawn reaches the other side of the board?"

"They get promoted to any captured piece." Pitch hummed slightly before shaking his head.

"Not quite, the choice of promotion is not limited to the pieces that have been captured; a player could promote the Pawn to any chess piece they wanted. And I find myself needing a Knight to claim my checkmate." Pitch's eyes bore into his and Jack had to give himself a mental shake, realizing he'd allowed himself to become too absorbed in the man's words.

"I don't want to hurt anybody." Jack answered firmly, fully determined to walk away then. Pitch would surely push the issue, he wanted revenge on the Guardians, and he wanted to scare the children. That's not what he wanted.

"Not even the rabbit?" He questioned and Jack floundered wordlessly. "If you don't wish to hurt anyone, then fine, I won't ask you to." Jack was beginning to feel cornered and he didn't know why. Pitch hadn't advanced towards, had made no move to grab him, and yet the winter spirit felt more trapped than when he'd been in the Boogeyman's lair.

"I don't want children to fear me either!" He shouted angrily, knowing there was no way Pitch would let that comment slide. All he wanted was fear and darkness.

"And why would I want them to fear you?" The Boogeyman asked, looking amused for the first time since the conversation started. "Fear is my element dear Jack, just as winter is yours."

"Then how would they Believe in me?" He asked curiously. This whole time, he'd thought Pitch had meant for them to take over and fill the world with endless terror.

"Why, you would be their champion of course." Pitch purred, circling around Jack like a hungry wolf. "I've learnt from my mistakes Jack, the Dark Ages had been too much. There needs to be balance in the world. Besides fear is important, it can keep children safe."

Jack was still hung up on Pitch's first sentence. Him? The hero?

"When we finally put a stop to the Guardians, we'll dictate how the world works. I, as the Boogeyman, would be the villain, scaring young ones all around the world. The children will need a protector and who better than Jack Frost?" The Nightmare King continued, a smirk donned on his face.

"Nobody would be hurt?" He asked weakly after a few minutes. "And the Guardians? They won't–"

"We've survived for hundreds of years without Believers Jack, they can do the same." Pitch pointed out with an air of boredom, but bordering on irritation. "As for the children, you have my word that the worst they shall suffer are but a few bad dreams. Fear, more often than many believe, protects people with its very nature."

Jack nervously bit at his lip, could he do this? Could he actually turn his back on everything and join Pitch? Could he live with himself for taking part in Pitch's twisted plan? Pretending to be the good guy when he was actually working alongside the man who gave children nightmares? But was it so wrong? A few bad dreams wouldn't hurt, kids were resilient and he'd be there to make sure nothing got too scary.

When Pitch held out his hand…

'_I can't have a family, but I can have Believers. This could be my last chance._' A desperate part of himself argued. With every second, he seemed to be losing more and more ground with the situation. But Pitch was offering him something that the Guardians and the Man in the Moon never had, a place in the world. '_And_ _I don't want to be alone anymore._'

…Jack accepted it.

~Would It Change Things~

Whoo! Chapter one is out and it totally kicked ass. I felt it had just the right amount of tension in here. And I truly believe that Jack could have accepted Pitch's offer if he'd been pushed too much in the movie. Here, I gave him a bitter, darker side, but we have to remember he's been alone for three hundred years. That kind of solitude leaves its mark. Jack may be the Guardian of Fun, but fun can be a long ways from innocence.

I want some feedback on how well I did with the end bit. It wasn't in the movie, so I don't know if the transition from movie dialogue to my style of writing was a little jarring or not. It felt good to me, but I'm biased. Also, I'm really proud of myself for the chess references above. So yeah, go me.

~Hexalys~


	2. The Last Light

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to review!

Wow guys, thanks for the great response, seriously, it was really gratifying. I felt all gooey and warm inside, like a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie! If only you guys would react this way every time I posted a new chapter for one of my stories. *wink, wink*

All kidding aside guys, I love ya, I really do. That's why I'm posting this chapter super early, to show my appreciation for such a great reception. So rejoice and review!

~Would It Change Things~

Chapter 2: The Last Light

As soon as Jack had taken Pitch's hand, a massive wave of Nightmare Sand had risen up to consume them both. For a second, he'd thought that Pitch had tricked him, and that the Boogeyman was launching an attack. Pitch must have sensed his fear, because he gave Jack's hand a light squeeze that the winter spirit could almost describe as reassuring.

Traveling by Nightmare Sand was very different from using North's snow globes or traveling through Bunny's tunnels. It was a lot more disorienting for one, which was a feet in and of itself. Jack had an amazing sense of direction; he'd needed it so that he wouldn't get caught off guard by an unexpected updraft when flying. Yet, as they arrived in Pitch's lair, he could barely tell which way was up or down.

A hand landed on his shoulder, steadying him, and Pitch moved away before Jack could say thanks, which was probably a good thing. Just because he'd agreed to work with the man, it didn't mean that Pitch had even an iota of his trust. He'd seen the Boogeyman's mask of sincerity drop faster than a group of Tooth Fairies after seeing his smile.

This venture was only about business, nothing more.

A part of Jack wished that Guardians had been as clear and cut as Pitch was being. At first, he'd helped them only to get his memories, well that, and he also hadn't liked the idea of Tooth disappearing. But then, then they'd spent time with him, they'd played with him and he'd stupidly forgotten that their collaboration was merely built from the expression, '_you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours._'

Well Jack had learnt his lesson; he wouldn't be making the same mistake with Pitch.

As his eyes adjusted to the extreme shift in lighting, the white tundra of the artic replaced with ink-like darkness, he heard a chorus of loud cheeps from overhead. He looked up; still squinting a little, as the caged Fairies slowly came into focus. Their small faces shone brightly, their little hands gesturing for him to free them or to look out for Pitch.

Slowly, deliberately, he turned his back on them. The action was easier than he thought it would be.

He spied Pitch standing next to his globe of the world, and Jack approached him. Something clenched in his chest as he saw the numerous lights of Believers blink out of existence. He did his best to push the sensation away, he was on the other side of the line now. He wanted the lights to go out. Telling himself that still didn't make the feeling go away though.

"They're disappearing so quickly." He said, mostly to himself, but Pitch nodded in agreement. A Nightmare materialized and gave Jack a passive sounding snort before it moved over to Pitch, whickering slightly as the Boogeyman ran a hand over its' long nose. It made Jack think of his own past creations that he'd brought to life with his frost. They'd never lasted long, he didn't have enough strength to keep them stable for more than an hour, but they'd always been loyal and playful.

"Once every child has lost their faith, we'll start a new wave of Believers, ones who will believe in the Boogeyman." He paused here and Jack gave the man his firmest glare. It just seemed to amuse the Nightmare King. "And of course, they'll believe in Jack Frost too."

"Right, so we play the waiting game." He muttered, trying his best to ignore the frantic chirps above him. "I hate waiting."

"We've been unseen for centuries Jack, a few hours more won't kill us." Pitch commented in an unconcerned tone. He jerked his head up to look at the Fairies, who had only grown louder, and snarled wordlessly. "Oh, do shut up before I play tennis with you."

Despite himself, Jack smiled a little at that. Pitch didn't sound serious or angry, just annoyed. Plus, he was sure that the man would look completely ridiculous should he ever play the game. The image of Pitch batting Tooth Fairies across an empty tennis court abruptly appeared in Jack's mind, making him snicker a little. Pitch sent him a look that seemed to say: "_I know exactly what you're picturing Frost, knock it off._" Jack shrugged and offered a small smirk.

"Hey, wait a minute, what happened to Baby Tooth?" He asked quickly, only just remembering his missing friend. Pitch raised eyebrow in confusion. "The little Fairy that was here with me last time?" Jack further elaborated, displeasure dripping into his tone.

"Ah, I know just the one." Pitch said, snapping his fingers in an exaggerated manner before pulling something out from the shadows. Baby Tooth struggled weakly in the Boogeyman's grasp, looking up at Jack with wide mismatched eyes. "I had planned to use her as a bargaining chip should you have declined my offer, but since you did not… Her presence is rather moot at this point, isn't it?"

Jack's hand shot out before he even had a moment to process the possible meanings behind Pitch's words. He was afraid, afraid for Baby Tooth, because the Nightmare next to Pitch was looking at her in hungry manner. '_What do Nightmares even eat?_' Pitch paused, before giving him a shark-like smile, eyes gleaming brightly in the darkness of his lair.

"What would you give me for her, Jack?" He taunted, sashaying the Fairy in his clutches a little. Jack had to bite his lip to stop the damning word that almost escaped his mouth. '_Anything'_ wouldn't fly here. He had to be smart about things when they came to Pitch. So instead of pleading, Jack stuck out his jaw and gave the Boogeyman a hard look.

"Think of it as an act of good faith on your part." Jack tried and Pitch tilted his head, hiding his face in even more shadows. "I mean, really, you haven't given me many reasons to trust you." He prodded a little more, heart racing as he saw Pitch narrow his eyes. He decided to backtrack a little. "You don't need her anyways." It was silent in the cave, even the Fairies above had stopped making noise, as if they too had realized the potential danger their sister was in.

"A favor Jack, one of my choosing to collect in the future, and you get your little friend back." Pitch countered and Jack inwardly cursed, because there was no way he could say no to the stipulation. Baby Tooth squeaked and shook her tiny head no, but Jack only sighed after a long moment, nodding his head slowly as he stared at the ground. "Done."

Jack stepped forward and eagerly took the small Fairy into his hands, minding his staff secured tightly under his arm. There was no way he was going to leave it unattended whenever he was around Pitch.

"Hey, little Baby Tooth, you okay?" He asked softy while brushing a hand over her feathered head. She sneezed, her whole body jerking in the motion and Jack's shoulders slumped. "Sorry." He whispered sadly, unable to look at her face. It was such a loaded word and he felt like he was apologizing for a lot more than just his uncontrollable body temperature. "All I can do is keep you cold." She patted his palm, showing that she was okay, and he wondered if she knew about his alliance with Pitch. Or of how he'd betrayed the Guardians.

'_More like they betrayed me._' His unhelpful mind pointed out.

"How precious." Pitch remarked, startling Jack a little. He'd completely forgotten Pitch was there and that for a second, it had felt like he was still in Antarctica. "If you're quite through with the touching reunion, we have an appointment to make at the North Pole." Pitch turned to his Nightmare, saying something Jack couldn't hear before it rushed off with a loud cry.

"Wait, what?" He asked quickly, carefully placing Baby Tooth on his shoulder. "We're going to North's Workshop? Why?" He gripped his staff firmly. He wasn't sure if he was ready to face the Guardians just yet. Then again, Jack didn't think he'd ever truly be ready to see their reactions. "Are the Guardians there?"

"I doubt it, there are only ten children left who Believe, they are most likely rushing to those lights to ensure they do not go out." Pitch paused and smirked as the tenth light faded, leaving only nine behind. "As for why we are going, it is merely for my own amusement. Perhaps I simply wish to revel in my victory in the crowing fortress of my enemies? I find there's a bitter form of poetic justice in the gesture, to stand in the throne room when it all unravels for the Guardians."

"Boy, you just love to hear the sound of your own voice, don't you?" Jack said flatly and Pitch glared in response. Baby Tooth squeaked, gaining their attention. She sounded reprimanding and gestured towards Jack before shaking her little fist at Pitch. The Nightmare King smirked and Jack lowered his head. He knew exactly what Baby Tooth was saying.

"_You won't win, Jack will stop you!_"

"Oh, how adorable, it seems the foolish thing still has faith in you Jack." Pitch cooed, hand reaching out to Baby Tooth, who promptly squeaked and hid in the folds of his hoodie. "Perhaps you should tell your dear friend the truth, rather than make her witness your actions?" Jack's eyelids were shut, closed so tightly that he could see specks of color in the darkness.

"Baby Tooth…" He started, voice breaking a little. "I'm not a Guardian; I'm not _with_ the Guardians." He ground out through clenched teeth. He heard her give a small chip, sounding confused. Something small brushed the side of his jaw, touching the bruise Bunny had left behind and he hissed, feeling his anger renewed. "I never _wanted_ to be a Guardian! I'm with Pitch now!"

"_You were with Pitch?!_" North's earlier words rung throughout his mind, furthering his resentment. He tore Baby Tooth from her place on his shoulders, having enough sense to hold her gently, and flew up to the nearest cage of Fairies. He tossed her inside, her sisters swarming over to see if she was alright. She looked back up at him, tears swimming in her oddly colored eyes.

"I _will_ _be_ Believed in." He growled before slamming the door shut with a powerful push. The sound echoed ominously off the walls and made the cage swing back roughly, making the Fairies cry out in alarm or fear. He landed hard next to Pitch, breaths rapid and glaring at the Boogeyman with everything that he had. "Let's just go already." He said, ignoring how Pitch grinned at him. Nightmare Sand flew towards them at much slower pace than last time, giving Jack a chance to look back up at Baby Tooth.

Before they disappeared, he saw her little head sticking out between the bars, her hand reaching out towards him.

~Would It Change Things~

Pitch was the happiest he'd been in centuries. Not since the Dark Ages had he felt this triumphant, though he had taken some pleasure out of finally being rid of Sandy. Still, even the Sandman's demise hadn't filled him with as much glee as seeing Frost shout at his little Fairy friend. Really, with how the temperature had dropped so quickly and Frost's icy glare, the boy could be quite frightening when he wanted to be. There was hope for him yet.

In truth, Pitch could hardly believe how perfectly things were turning out. The once immeasurable number of Believers had been reduced to a handful of lights that were quickly disappearing. The Guardians own group numbers had also suffered a serious blow lately. Not only had they lost the Sandman, they'd lost Jack Frost too. It was just all the more satisfying that they'd crippled themselves in that area without his interfering, Frost had hardly needed much convincing in Antarctica.

And now, from his latest Nightmare's report, the Guardians were at their weakest. North's strength and exuberance had finally failed him; the Russian was little more than an old man. Tooth was grounded, her wings too feeble to lift her even a foot off the ground, taking away her fighting spirit. And then there was Bunny, the rodent was the one who'd suffered the worst, reduced to fragile form and left completely powerless. Oh, how he couldn't wait to see how dreadful they looked.

Pitch chuckled as they reappeared in North's Workshop, spreading his Nightmare Sand throughout the room for a dramatic effect. He heard Frost mutter something under his breath that sounded like, "_And Bunny called me a show pony._" He paid the winter spirit no mind and walked across the globe, an unusual spring highlighting his gait.

"You're all free to go!" He shouted, Frost matching his steps as he moved, swinging about his staff in an uncaring fashion and frosting the globe over. Pitch eyed the thin ice crawling atop the painted wood, noticing the design and shapes as it steadily grew outwards. The crystal drawings looked like an armada of his Nightmares, swallowing the world up in one swift wave. He distantly wondered if the work was Frost's doing, or if the ice itself chose what image to create. In either case, it had an effect on the Yetis', who reeled back from the unsettling sight.

"We won't be needing any Christmas toys this year, thank you." He bowed a little at the end, much like a performer accepting a standing ovation. "Nor ever again." His eyes turned to the lights, everyone's gazes following his.

"They're all going out." Frost commented coolly, eyeing a light that was flickering a little.

"Only six left, six precious children who still believe in the Guardians with all their heart." He gave Frost a mischievous look, before his foot landed on the only light left in Europe. "Make that five." He pulled away and low and behold, the light was extinguished. He spun a little, skipping onto North America and stepped on the next light, "Four!" He went to move again, but the frost that had been spreading across the globe reached the third light before he could. It went out.

"Three." Frost sounded from behind him, and Pitch smirked darkly. He jumped, landing on the next two lights.

"Two!" He crowed, not even feeling the cold from the frost under his feet and looked over his shoulder towards the last light, snapping his fingers for an added effect. Nothing happened. He snapped twice more before turning around, glaring at the light as if it had mocked him. The frost stopped just short of touching it and the winter spirit crouched down, studying it with a curious expression played across his face.

"One." Pitch hissed, shoulders hunched as he approached the light to see exactly where the little Believer resided. Somewhere in Pennsylvania from the looks of it, disturbingly close to one of the entrances to his Dark Cave and even closer to Frost's pond. It seemed this required a personal touch, especially if the Guardians had already managed to find the child.

"Jamie." Frost said softly, recognition and fondness alighting his voice.

"Friend of yours, Jack?" He asked lightly. The winter spirit looked up in surprise, blue eyes wide, and Pitch realized his tone may not have been as light as he'd thought.

"No, I–" The boy shook his head, eyes drifting back to the last light. "If I could pick anyone to be my first Believer, it would be Jamie." Pitch hummed, trying to sound like he understood. Perhaps it wasn't so odd that Frost would fixate on one child, who was obviously something special since he still Believed when no one else did.

"Well then, I think it's high time you had a Believer, Jack." He said, laying a hand on the boy's thin shoulder. Frost stiffened under the light touch, but quickly eased into it after a moment. Pitch hid a smirk, three hundred years without such comforting notions made the boy very easy to manipulate.

"You know where the boy is, yes?" Frost looked up at him with hopeful eyes, slowly nodding his head. "Then go, the Guardians may have already reached the boy." And Frost flew, he was out of the Workshop faster than Pitch had thought possible. As he watched the winter spirit disappear from a nearby window, he summoned up one of his Nightmares. "Alert the others, we may need to make a final stand tonight."

He turned to look at the shop as the Nightmare retreated, grey-gold eyes taking in the shocked and haggard faces of North's work force. One Yeti however, simply looked furious. It approached him, others moving out of its' way, and stopped just short of actually touching him. It gave huffy breaths, green eyes focused on him. It garbled something, Pitch couldn't understand a world of it, and gestured at the ice covered globe. The Boogeyman thought he got the gist of what the creature was saying.

"_Why is Jack Frost with you?_"

"Frost joined me of his own inclination; I merely offered him what your leader and the Guardians didn't." There was more gesturing from the Yeti.

"_What could you offer that they couldn't?_"

"Understanding." He answered and gave the surprisingly not dull behemoth a sharp smile, before returning to his Dark Cave.

~Would It Change Things~

Jack had never flown as fast as he was going now. He had to get to Jamie, because if he didn't, if the Guardians got there before he did, Jack had a terrible feeling he would never be Believed in. It felt like Jamie was his last hope of being seen.

He arrived in Burgess within what felt like minutes, which was obviously in his head. The Wind was fast, but not even it could get him halfway across the world that quickly. The Wind carried him to Jamie's window, a place Jack had asked it to bring him too many times in the past. How often did he sit near that window, looking in on the happy family and desperately wishing they could see him? He threw his mind back to the first time he'd noticed the Bennett family, Jamie had only been three years old then.

It was only now that Jack realized he'd actually been wishing for a family of his own or at least, to be a part of theirs. Jack imagined he would have been a very good older brother. He would have taught Sophie how to ice skate and encouraged Jamie's Beliefs in everything. He would have even helped the kids with their homework, since that's what good brothers did. Then he'd have snowball fights with them and the neighborhood kids.

Jack's daydreams were cut short as he heard Jamie's voice leak out from the window, which he noticed was slightly opened. The winter spirit frowned at that, it was still cold enough for snow for the Moon's sake, Jamie could catch a cold.

"Okay, look, you and I are obviously at what they call a crossroads. So here's what's gonna happen." Jack peaked through the window, seeing the eight year old sitting on his bed and talking to Mr. Whiskers, his old toy rabbit that had clearly seen better days. "If it wasn't a dream and if you are real, then you have to prove it, like right now."

Jack crouched down onto the windowsill. It didn't look like there was any reason for him to have come; Jamie was going to stop believing at any moment. It broke Jack's heart to hear the boy's sad words, to see this child who believed in everything, slowly lose his faith. A part of him, a large part, hated himself for doing this to the boy he'd just been fantasying about being a big brother to.

"I've believed in you for a long time okay? Like my whole life in fact, so you kind of owe me now. You don't have to do much, just a little sign so I know. Anything…" Jack looked away. "Anything at all." There was a pause and then a slight thump. He looked back to see that the toy had fallen to the floor, abandoned by the last light. "I knew it."

Jack couldn't take it, he couldn't stand seeing this loss, and he couldn't bear to see Jamie so… hopeless. He pushed open the window, banishing thoughts about the Guardians and Pitch to the farthest corners of his mind. This, he decided firmly, had nothing to do with them.

This was about Jamie.

He stepped into the room, turning to the window, and frosted the glass by letting his hand hover over the surface. He paused only for a second, before placing his finger on the glass and drew a sloppy looking Easter egg. He heard Jamie gasp and he turned to see the young boy staring down at Mr. Whiskers, as if it was the one who'd drawn the egg. Jack gave a genial scoff and moved up the window, deciding to draw a rabbit instead.

"He's real." Jamie whispered, slowly standing on his bed. Jack smiled a little and turned back to the drawing. Sure, Jamie had asked for any kind of proof, and he still Believed, but Jack felt like the two dimensional image wasn't doing him any credit. He focused on the frost, and at his command, the rabbit came to life, climbing out of the window and into his hands.

"Whoa." Jamie said with awe, making Jack smile. The rabbit hopped out of his hands and dashed across the room, able to run on the Wind just like he could. He laughed with Jamie as the boy reached out to grab the frost creature, who merely gasped in surprise as the rabbit burst into a cloud of icy flakes.

"Snow?" Jack simply smiled fondly at the falling debris; glad that Jamie had noticed that little bit. "_Jack Frost?_" And then he froze.

"Did he just say?" He whispered to the quiet room, feeling some sort of emotion that was too powerful to name, tighten almost painfully in his chest. No, he'd just imagined it. Wishful thinking on his part. Jack had done it to himself many times in the past.

"Jack Frost?"

"He said it again." The winter spirit gasped, backing away from the last Believer. "He said – you said –" He couldn't even begin to articulate how stunned he was. This was the closest anyone had ever come to believing that he actually existed.

"Jack Frost!" Jamie said again and Jack didn't think he'd ever get tired of hearing his name being said by the boy.

"That's right!" He shouted while lunging forwards, hands grasping at the hair on his head, unsure of what he was supposed to do now. "But that's me, I'm Jack Frost, that's my name." He said to the room, to Jamie, even though the boy couldn't hear him. He squinted at Jamie for a second, shock visible on his face. Jamie was staring back with wide eyes and an opened mouth.

Wait, he couldn't be – could he?

"Wait, c-can you hear me?" He asked, ignoring how his voice cracked a little. And remarkably, _unbelievably_, Jamie nodded. "C-can you… can you see me?" A nod, a small amazed smile. "He sees me! He, he sees me!" Tears, the first Jack had shed in centuries, began to build in the corners of his eyes. He'd never been so happy before in his entire existence! With a laugh, he did a backflip, landing on Jamie's desk and smiling so widely his cheeks hurt.

"You just made it snow!" Jamie shouted breathlessly.

"I know!" He said back in the same level, excitement filling his tone.

"In my room!" The boy continued quickly, a tooth-gaped grin on his face.

"I know!" He shouted back, unable to contain his joy. '_He sees me, he sees me, he sees me!_'

"You're real?" Jamie asked, though Jack thought the question was a little redundant at this point, but he was too happy to give Jamie a sarcastic answer.

"Yeah, I mean, who do you think brings you all the snow days and the blizzards? And you remember when you went flying on that sled the other day?" He gestured wildly, Jack wasn't sure if he could remember the last time he'd had this much energy. He just suddenly felt so empowered, so confident. '_Is this what it feels like to have a Believer?_'

"That was you?" Jamie asked while bouncing on the bed, apparently he wasn't the only one having a problem with staying still.

"That was me!" Jack answered.

"Cool!"

"Right?" He bragged happily. This, Jack decided, was the best moment of his life.

"But what about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, I mean, what about the others?" And Jack felt his elated mood plummet. He must have made a face because Jamie stopped bouncing and his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "They are real right? I saw them in my room last night." Jack still didn't answer. He found himself staring out the window, desperately trying to avoid Jamie's gaze. "Jack… did something bad happen to them? Is that way there weren't any eggs?"

The winter spirit turned back to Jamie, throat catching as he saw the scared and worried look on the little boy's face. What could he say? He was with Pitch now, restoring Jamie's Belief in the Guardians would only hurt things for him in the long run. But then again, he couldn't tell Jamie that they weren't real, that they'd never existed. He could never do that to Jamie or the Guardians. So Jack chose the third option and he did something that he would hate himself for, for the rest of his life.

He looked into Jamie's hopeful expression, and lied.

~Would It Change Things~

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I bet you people are cursing up a storm at this point. I really just had to stop the chapter there, if only to torture you all a little. I really do love how this chapter turned out and I'm especially happy that I got to throw in a little bit of the story from Pitch's point of view. Seriously, Pitch is my favorite, so expect him to have a decent amount of parts in this story.

I think I did well with redoing the movie scenes from a different side of the spectrum. I have no doubt, that even though Jack joined Pitch, he would still ensure that Jamie wouldn't stop Believing. He really has a soft spot for the kid, you could tell as much from the movie.

~Hexalys~


	3. A Snuffed Light

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to review!

To me, reviews are a lot like money, and you, my valued customers, pay me for a job well done with those reviews. If you look at things that way, then the more you pay me, the faster my chapters will come. Huh, wasn't that a smart analogy? Go me.

~Would It Change Things~

Chapter 3: A Snuffed Light

"_What?_" Jamie whispered, horrified, and his face scrunched up as tears started to fall. Jack could only look away, unable to stomach what his lies had caused. He was taken by surprise as Jamie wrapped his arms around him, burying his head into Jack's stomach.

The winter spirit stopped breathing for a second, his arms raised in the air as he was unsure of what he should do with himself. His first hug, this was his first hug! Jack had always imagined experiencing the sensation, of what if must feel like to be embraced by someone, but he found his fantasies didn't do the action any justice.

Jamie was warm and while Jack usually didn't like warmth, he could definitely make an exception when it came to hugs. Hesitantly, he lowered his arms to wrap them around his first Believer, feeling something good fall into place deep in his chest. However, the moment was ruined as Jamie sobbed into his hoodie; breaking Jack's heart because he'd caused this.

He was the one who'd hurt Jamie. His lies had shattered the child's innocent ideals of the world, taking a wonderful fairytale and turning it into a nightmare.

"There, there." He tried, flinching at how his tone came out, awkwardly rubbing the eight year olds back, and getting a watery chuckle for his efforts.

"You're not very good at this." Jamie said without pulling away, so his words were muffled slightly. Jack sighed and nodded, running a hand through Jamie's hair and causing the boy to shiver a little. He quickly pulled back, returning his arms back to his sides. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget how cold he was when compared to others.

"Hey, you're the first person to ever Believe in me, so I'm a little rusty on the whole comforting thing." He said honestly, feeling more than a little self-conscious. Jamie pulled away, his face flushed and tearstained, to give Jack an odd look.

"…I'm your first Believer?" He nodded as the child looked up at him with sad eyes. "Does that mean no one's ever hugged you before?" Jamie asked in shocked tone, as if he couldn't conceive that he was the first person to hug Jack. The winter spirit shrugged, stuffing his hands into his shirt's pockets as he pointedly avoided Jamie's gaze.

His hands brushed against his Teeth Canister and he thought that maybe, Jamie hadn't given him his first hug after all. All of his memories literally rested in the palm of his hand, memories of a family, of hugs he could have experienced. He brought out the Canister, lost in thought.

Should he open it, should he try to get his memories back? It would likely answer his many questions, but what if he didn't like what he found? Besides, things were precarious enough as they were, did he really want to risk upsetting everything that he was trying to make for himself?

Maybe it would be best to wait until later, until everything had settled down.

"Wow, what's that?" Jamie asked in an awed tone, bringing Jack out of his thoughts. He gave his first Believer a searching look, before an idea struck him, making him smile a little.

"This Jamie, is a Teeth Canister, it holds all of my baby teeth from when I was human." He answered; twirling the golden case in his hands and avidly watching as Jamie's eyes tracked his movements. The novelty of being seen wasn't something that was going to wear out anytime soon.

"You used to be human?" The boy asked and Jack nodded, as if he'd known the information all his life, instead of finding out about it just two nights ago.

"We all were once, before the Man in the Moon chose us." He said sagely, smirking as Jamie looked at him with renewed wonder. "Everyone's baby teeth actually hold their most important memories from their childhood." He said, somberly repeating what Tooth had told him in her palace. "These are my memories Jamie and I want you to hide them, to keep them safe from Pitch." Jamie shuddered, not from the cold this time, but from fear.

Jack had told him all about the Boogeyman and what he'd done to the Guardians.

"Wait, you want me to protect your teeth?" Jamie asked anxiously, his brown eyes wide with terror. "But what if Pitch comes? Why would he want your memories? What if he–"

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Jack rushed forward pulling the boy into another hug, trying to ignore the guilt that ate at him. He'd caused this fear of Pitch in Jamie; he'd terrified the boy so much that he almost went into hysterics at just hearing the Nightmare King's name. "It's alright Jamie; I won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise." He continued to hug the boy for a few more minutes before pulling away, bending down so that he could look Jamie in the eyes.

"Pitch doesn't want my teeth, but I don't really have a safe place to keep them." He said, pausing to pass over the Canister. Jamie took it into his hands, tracing the colorful carvings carefully. "I know you'll take good care of them Jamie and they'll help you to Believe in me." He gave the last light a serious look. "Whenever you have doubts, or when things get too scary, I want you to hold this and Believe in me. Because right now, Believing is the most important thing you can do to help me fight against Pitch."

The young boy nodded, looking more serious than Jack had ever seen him, taking the Teeth Canister and jumping off the bed. Jack watched, bemused as Jamie pried up one of the floorboards next to his bed, tucking in the Canister among a few other knickknacks that Jamie obviously treasured. He spied a brown little notebook, some half-used crayons, and a silver heart shaped locket without a chain.

"This is my secret hiding spot." Jamie whispered and Jack leaned forward, realizing that the eight year old was sharing something with him that he'd likely never shown anyone before. "Only Sophie knows about it."

"What's with the locket?" He whispered back, though nobody but Jamie could hear him.

"It's something my mom got me for my birthday a few years ago." The boy pulled it out and opened it. "It's a picture of my family." Sure enough, there was a miniaturized photo of the entire Bennett family, including a baby Sophie and a younger looking Jamie.

"Why don't you wear it?" Jack asked, whispering now not because he was playing along with Jamie, but because he was moved by the gift. What he wouldn't give to have a picture of his family that he could always look at. Too bad he didn't have a family. Even if he'd had one once when he'd been human, they were long gone now. It was just another reason why Jack didn't want to look at his memories.

"Are you kidding? It's shaped like a heart; a kid could get beat up for wearing something like this to school." Jamie responded, tucking the locket back into its spot near the Teeth Canister. "I get enough grief from the older kids for just believing in Santa–" Jamie stopped there, biting his lip and looking like he was about to start crying again.

Jack closed his eyes, hating himself.

"Jamie, who are you talking to?" Jamie's mother called from down the hall. Jamie quickly replaced the floorboard and looked at Jack for help. The winter spirit simply shrugged, knowing that if Jamie chose to tell the truth, his mother wouldn't believe him.

"Uh, Jack Frost?" That's one of the things Jack liked about Jamie, he never chose to lie if he could help it.

"Huh, okay." She replied back with a chuckle. Jack could almost imagine her shaking her head fondly, amused by her son's wild imagination. Jamie laughed and Jack joined him.

The brief lighthearted moment was ruined as the Wind suddenly threw Jamie's window opened, trying to get Jack's attention. He moved to look out the window, eyes widening in dread as he saw North's sleigh crash into the street below.

"What's wrong Jack?" The boy asked and Jack realized Jamie hadn't heard the crash because he no longer Believed in North or any of the others. "Is it _him?_" He sure as heck Believed in Pitch though.

"I-I don't know." He muttered, unable to look away as North's reindeer ran off, the old spirit calling after them in Russian. "But I'm going to check it out." Jack grabbed his staff that he'd setup against Jamie's desk and flew out the window, landing on the streetlight just above the Guardians, unable to confront them just yet.

"North, are you okay?" Tooth asked, buckling a little as the larger spirit leaned onto her smaller frame for support.

"It is official, my powers are kaput." North said sadly, sounding so unlike his usual self. Tooth continued to struggle with the Russian's weight as she slowly helped him out of the sleigh. From above them, hidden in shadows, Jack wondered where Bunny was. '_Probably still sulking in that park._' His mind whispered spitefully. Unnervingly enough, only a small part of Jack regretted the cruel thought. His musings were interrupted as a door slammed from behind him and Tooth gasped.

"Look!" She half whispered, half shouted. Jack followed her gaze, choking a little as he spotted Jamie's small form running down the driveway with only a pair of slippers on his feet.

"The last light." North said in awe, gazing at Jamie as if he was the most wonderful thing in the world.

'_They don't know._' Jack realized with dread, frozen in his spot as he watched Jamie get closer. '_They have no idea that Jamie doesn't Believe in them anymore._'

Tooth moved forward first, faster than North who hobbled behind slowly as he used one of his swords like a cane or a crutch. Jamie didn't slow down and Tooth cried out as he ran right through her. Despite the handicap, North was quick enough to grab Tooth before she could collapse backwards. Her tearful shout seemed to echo down the street, making Jack flinch.

"Jack!" Jamie called, running up to the streetlight and unknowingly alerting the Guardians to his presence. "Is it Pitch?" Jack ducked his head as he landed in front of Jamie, laying a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder and mentally blocking out the others.

"No, it's fine, go back to the house for now though." He said softly, his hold on Jamie's shoulder tightening a little as he caught sight of Tooth and North approaching them from the corner of his eye.

"You'll come back, right?" Jamie asked, looking so scared and hopeful at the same time.

"You kidding? Wild Nightmares couldn't keep me away." He said with a smile, hoisting his staff onto his shoulders. Jamie smiled in response, chuckling a little as Jack ruffled his hair. "Try to get some sleep, I'll make sure you and your friends don't have any bad dreams tonight." Jamie dove in for a quick hug, catching Jack off guard again, before racing back to his house, never once sparing the Guardians a glance.

"Jack, he sees you." North said after a moment, happiness filling his tone. Jack forced himself to look at North, preparing for the outburst that was bound to come. But North's face was beaming with a sort of proudness, looking like a doting grandfather who had just seen his grandchild excel at something. That wasn't what he'd expected to see and Jack felt his heart twist painfully at North's warm expression. '_Don't North, please, don't look at me like that._'

Jack found his eyes drifting to Tooth, who was now leaning against North for a change. She managed to give him a broken smile, glad for him even though they'd just lost their last Believer. Her feathers looked even worse than earlier and her wings hung uselessly on her back. The fragile smile quickly crumbled as Tooth buried her face into her hands, shoulders shaking a little.

"He was the last light…" She whispered over her tears. North closed his eyes, looking pained. He lowered his head and grabbed Tooth's shoulder, giving it a sharp squeeze. "Oh North, what are we going to do?"

"It's alright Toothy, we will think of something." North looked up at him then, eyes searching for something that Jack didn't know if he could still give.

This wasn't at all how Jack had envisioned their reactions. He'd thought they'd hate him, that they wouldn't be happy for him in gaining a Believer. '_They don't know what I've done, but once they do–._' Jack straightened his back, and stared hard at the pavement. '_I just got them before they could get me._' The justification solidified something in him, giving him the strength he needed to look into North's eyes.

"So, where's Bunny?" He asked softly, gripping his staff hard as he remembered the bruise on his jaw. He saw North's eyes lower a little, taking in the mark before looking away.

"Losing Easter took its toll on all of us, Bunny most of all." The Russian said lowly, turning back to look at the sleigh. A small light gray bunny hopped out, landing on one of the wings to the sleigh. Jack recognized the oddly patterned fur and bright green eyes easily. Bunny looked at him for a second, eyes wide and nose twitching, before quickly turning back to the others.

"Where's the kid?" The small rabbit asked, sounding the same as before and setting Jack's teeth on edge. No apology, no regret, _nothing_, just a gruff question and deliberate ignorance. Jack felt whatever guilt he'd had towards the Guardians shrivel up in that second. Anger pulsed though his veins instead and the frost thickened around his staff.

"_Bunny!_" North scolded, looking angry but not nearly as furious as when he'd been yelling at Jack earlier in the park.

"He doesn't Believe in us anymore, we were too late." Tooth answered, pulling her hands away to rub at her raw eyes.

Jack almost went to her in that moment, wanting to see her off the ground and up in the air again. She looked so awkward on her feet, as if she hadn't walked in years, which was actually very likely now that he thought about it. As he stepped towards her though, Bunny shouted, instantly reclaiming his attention.

"This is all your fault!" The rabbit yelled before dashing over to throw himself at Jack's legs, kicking and punching. It didn't hurt, but Jack couldn't help but think about how much it would have hurt if Bunny had been normal size. His jaw still ached and he distantly wondered why the bruise hadn't healed yet.

"Bunny, enough!" North said, moving forwards to pick the rabbit up. "Is not Jack's fault."

"Actually, for once, the Kangaroo's right." He said agreeably, faking a smile as the others stared. "Though really, you don't look like much of a Kangaroo, I can totally see the bunny thing now." Bunny glared and Jack felt his smirk turn into a sneer. "I am the reason you no longer have Jamie as a Believer."

"What?" Tooth asked, looking so confused while staring up at him from where she sat on the street sidewalk. North also looked lost, his blue eyes wide and once again searching for something. Their looks were almost enough to make Jack fly away again. But then his gaze landed on Bunny, who wore a knowing glare. "Jack, what do you mean?"

He was interrupted before he could say anything else, lightning cracked across the sky and they all turned to look up. Pitch was floating miles above them, standing on a cloud of swirling Nightmare Sand. Tooth quickly retreated to North, who griped his sword tightly while Bunny stood his ground, raising his little paws in the air.

Jack rolled his eyes, obviously realizing that Pitch was one for the theatrics, which was something that Jack could reluctantly appreciate. He'd spent years trying to get attention from others and he'd found the flashier you were, the more attention you got. Though it was dangerous for him to go all out if he wasn't completely focused, the blizzard of '68 was proof of that.

"Ah, Jack." Pitch said, startling them all a little as he walked out of a nearby shadow. Jack saw the dark spirit grin at the Guardians as they weakly settled into their battle stances. "I see you've been entertaining the Guardians. Tell me, is Jamie's Belief taken care of?" He asked, placing a gentle hand on the Jack's shoulder.

"Yup." He answered with mock cheer, focusing on Pitch so that he wouldn't have to see the Guardians' reactions. "Jamie thinks the Guardians are all gone, which yeah, he's pretty terrified of you now. And hey, he Believes in me too."

"Well done Jack, I knew I could count on you." Pitch said while running a hand through Jack's hair like he'd done to Jamie earlier. Jack, despite himself, leaned into the touch and smiled a little, feeling happy at hearing the Boogeyman's words. A part of him knew that Pitch was just putting on a show to torment the Guardians even further, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel anything other than content.

No one had ever said they could rely on him before.

"I knew it!" Bunny shouted and Tooth gasped, looking at Jack with wide unbelieving eyes. "I bloody knew the ratbag was working with Pitch!" North just looked between Pitch's hand and Jack's face, seemingly unable to understand what was happening. Pitch smirked, eyes lighting up as he caught sight of Bunny's small form.

"Look how fluffy you are." The Nightmare King bent down a little and reached towards the spirit of Easter. "Would you like a scratch behind the ears?" Pitch said in a mocking tone, the shadow of his hand enlarging and stretching towards Bunny. The shrunken spirit dashed backwards and climbed into North's free hand, looking even smaller as he huddled close to the Russian.

"Don't you even think about it!" Bunny growled, attempting to sound threatening and failing at it miserably. Jack chuckled a little and Bunny turned to scowl at him. "I knew from the very beginning that you could never be a Guardian, Frost, all you care about is yourself!"

Jack snarled at that, lunging forwards a little and slamming his staff into the ground. A wave of snow and cold wind kicked up over the area, as a bolt of frost shot up into the air, looking like a burst of lightning in its own way. Pitch stepped back a little, raising an eyebrow at Jack, and brushing off some ice that had formed over his arms and shoulders.

"Look who's talking." Jack growled angrily as he returned Bunny's glare. "All you care about is your stupid holiday and your creepy little eggs."

"Jack, how can you side with Pitch?" Tooth asked, hurt openly displayed on her face. He swallowed dryly, his anger retreating at being confronted by her wounded tone. "I'd thought–"

"What my dear, that you could just use Jack as you saw fit?" Pitch cut in and Tooth pursed her lips, glaring at him. Pitch moved to stand beside Jack again, his tall dark form emphasized next to Jack's shorter height, making him look all the more imposing. "Did you really think you could treat Jack so cruelly without any repercussions?"

Jack pulled his hoodie up as their gazes landed on his bruise and he waited for what felt like an eternity for someone, _anyone_, to say something. He hesitantly looked up at the Guardians, only to find that North and Tooth were also avoiding eye contact. Bunny just glared at him and Pitch, unrepentant. '_They're not sorry._' At that thought, at witnessing their reactions, something inside him broke a little.

"I agreed to help you in order to get my Teeth back." Jack started, sounding like he didn't have a care in the world. Inwardly, he was screaming at them do something, to apologize, to explain why they'd turned on him so quickly. "But," He paused, trying to keep the tremors out of his voice. "Once I had them I still came back to that park, willing to do whatever I could to make things right."

"Jack–" North started to say, but Jack felt as if a dam had given way. He couldn't hold back the hurt and resentment that had only grown since earlier that day.

"And what did I get in return?" He hissed while taking a step forwards. "_Oh Jack, what have you done?_" Tooth flinched. "_You were with Pitch?!_" North buckled. "_We never should have trusted you!_" He roared that last bit and Bunny's glare broke for a second, his ears drooping slightly.

Jack turned away from them, feeling wrung out and empty. How could they make him feel this much? They hadn't known each for more than two days, and yet here he was, feeling as if his world had just been torn apart.

He felt someone step close to him, their body almost pressed against his and Jack looked up with wet eyes to see Pitch's back. The Boogeyman had stepped in front of him, almost as if he were shielding Jack from the Guardians. The irony of it all wasn't lost on the winter spirit and he let out a bitter chuckle, taking comfort in Pitch's long shadow as he tried to regain his composure.

"Jack, w-what – what did you tell Jamie?" Tooth asked after a minute and Jack took a deep breath before stepping out from behind Pitch, staying close to the dark spirit as he casually leaned on his staff.

"Oh, I just told him how Pitch systematically killed all of you." He said breezily while twirling his staff. He ignored the shocked shouts and adjusted his face accordingly, pretending to look upset as recounted what he'd told Jamie.

"Pitch killed Sandy by firing an arrow into his back. We tried to save him, we really did Jaime, but we just weren't fast enough." He said sadly and Tooth tried to stifle her tears. He'd actually gone into greater detail with what happened to Sandy with Jamie, but the others didn't need a recap. Plus, he didn't like talking about what happened to Sandy. He'd been the only Guardian who'd ever actually spent some time with Jack in the past.

"Then he got Tooth, he'd damaged her wings while we'd been fighting in the air. We were so far up that when she hit the ground... I tried Jamie, I flew as fast as I could, but I–" He cut himself off there, as if it was too horrible to go on. Pitch chuckled and Jack sent him a brittle smirk before forcing himself to continue.

"When it was just the three of us, we were in Bunny's Warren, trying to get the eggs ready for Easter. We found Sophie there." He cracked a small smile, as if he really were talking to Jamie at that moment. "No, she was fine, she'd apparently found one of North's snow globes while he'd been taking a nap in your room. One of us had to take her back though, so I volunteered. Bunny needed to tend to his eggs and I was the fastest out of the group." He frowned there, eyebrows furrowed together as anger filled his tone.

"Pitch tricked me by using my Teeth and lured me into his lair. By the time I got out and was able to find the find the others, it was too late. Bunny was fighting against Pitch one-on-one when I showed up; North had been cut off from helping by a horde of Nightmares. They were both being overpowered Jamie and I couldn't save both of them. Pitch finished Bunny off personally." He gripped his staff hard, ice rippling across the wood in a jagged manner. His faux anger seemed to melt away, and he dragged a hand across his tired face.

"And then there was North. Oh, you should have seen how brave he was Jamie; Nightmares fell faster than you could blink. He was amazing and I'd thought…" He inhaled sharply, closing his eyes in despair. "I'd thought that we were going to be okay, you know? But when I looked away for a second, North screamed, and then he was gone Jamie, swallowed up by Pitch's Nightmare Sand forever." He finished in a scared tone, looking up at the group with haunted eyes.

It was silent for a few brief seconds before Jack scoffed, hoping to break the grave of the tension that had fallen over their little group.

"A stellar performance, Jack." Pitch complimented flatly, throwing in a few mocking claps of an applause. "Truly, Shakespeare himself would have been impressed." Jack grinned at Pitch's lack of passion and bowed appropriately. His playful mood however, quickly disappeared as he caught the Guardians horrified expressions.

He didn't want this, he'd never wanted to be feared, he'd said as much to Pitch hours ago. So why had he pushed? Nobody forced him to reenact what he'd told Jamie, he hadn't needed to twist that knife a little further. So why did he do it?

"Really, I can't tell how happy it makes me to see you all like this." Pitch said, regaining Jack's attention as he looked over the Guardians with a dark smile. "You look awful." That seemed to break the Guardians out of their shock. North and Bunny mustered a glare while Tooth just continued to stare at Jack with that frightened look. "Now, why don't you three just head back to North's Workshop, it's not like you have any reason to be here."

"You think we're just going to let you do whatever you want?" Tooth asked heatedly and Pitch tsked patronizingly.

"I don't think, I know." Pitch disappeared into his own shadow and the Nightmare moved to stand next to Jack. He gave the Nightmare a side glance, before his eyes spotted Pitch's shadow circling the Guardians.

They backed away from it and ended up retreating into a dead-end alleyway, too focused on avoiding the shadows to notice that they were being corralled. Jack gave the Nightmare another glance and it nodded towards the alley, as if telling him to help. With a dubious look, he sent out a thin layer of frost that iced over the street and buildings. The normal fern patterns were gone, replaced with sharp mangled lines that glistened ominously in the dimly lit alleyway.

"We will stop you, Pitch! Both you and your freezing little sneak!" Bunny growled.

"Oh, yeah? How?" Jack asked angrily as he helped Pitch push them deeper into the alley. "No one Believes in you guys anymore, your invisible, it's like you don't even exist." He said, throwing back the insult Bunny had used in North's Workshop.

"Exactly, there is nothing you can do to stop us." Pitch agreed, reappearing behind Jack to lay his hands down on both shoulders. Pitch leaned forward and spoke into his ear, loud enough for the Guardians to still hear. "Let's end this, shall we?" Jack sent out blast of hail and snow towards the Guardians, who tumbled back into the darkest shadows in the alley, not even able to let out a shout as they were sucked into the darkness.

"What? Where'd they go?" He asked worriedly, turning around to face Pitch. The Nightmare King laughed while absently petting his Nightmare.

"Relax Jack, I just sent them back to North's Workshop, they're perfectly fine, if a little rattled." Jack sighed in relief and Pitch scoffed. "Now then, do I get to meet your little Believer?" Jack looked back at Pitch with wide eyes, heart racing at the thought of Pitch being anywhere near Jamie. Pitch smiled, before throwing his head back to laugh again.

"Fine Jack, I see how it is. I leave the boy alone." Jack watched as Pitch climbed onto the Nightmare, the Boogeyman sparing him a look before shooting off into the air. His departing words echoing in the night's air. "_For now._"

~Would It Change Things~

Well, there's chapter three. The real struggle I had while writing this was making the characters interact with each other while not making anyone seem to OOC, which was actually really hard. Almost all of the things I wanted Tooth to say the first time around came out bitchy and she just isn't that type of person. Bunny did a lot of the hating in this chapter, but I really don't think he would have reacted any differently.

Hopefully Jack didn't seem evil to you guys, because he's not. Sure, he can be a little dark, but he doesn't get any joy out of watching the Guardians suffer. I tried to show how conflicted he was, but also wanted to show him lashing out a little too. That's what was really going on when he reenacted the lies he'd told Jamie. Pitch still felt evil, so that was good, but I hope the ending was too abrupt.

~Hexalys~


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